Chapter 30
Celebrate
...4 years later
The house that eventually became a home was decorated for a small party.
A small crystal punch bowl was on the side table and was filled with a non-alcoholic fruit punch
along with an assortment of a meat and cheese tray from Ralph's Market.
Dina had graduated with honors from the University of Arizona with her degree in Health Sciences.
She kept nervously looking out the living room window. They couldn't have a party without Drake.
He was touring the east coast with his new band. He surprisingly made the effort to phone her last
week from New Jersey saying he'd postpone the New York and Massachusetts gigs to come to
Dina's graduation party (and he must have apologized one million times for not being able to attend
her graduation) but it wasn't only that she had an announcement to make and it wouldn't be the
same with only Mom there. As soon as Megan turned eighteen she bolted for parts
unknown. You'd think she was biologically related to Walter Nichols. Audrey did surprise Dina to
be present at the ceremony and have a girl's weekend.
When no one was looking Dina grabbed some potato chips out of the big red Tupperware bowl that
was on the coffee table. She made sure not to dip in the sour cream and powdered Italian dressing
mixture.
She purposely locked her purse in her car so she wouldn't call her brother every five minutes.
"He'll be here…." Audrey said while bringing in a ladle for the punch bowl.
Was it wrong that the party was only going to consist of Audrey and her two children?
"You don't think he forgot?"
He did accidentally forget her birthday a few years ago, but had planned a party for his tramp
du'jour that happened to share the same birthday as she.
"No. Drake will be here, Dina." It made Audrey very happy to see that Drake finally accepted
Josh's transition into Dina.
The living room phone rang making Dina's heart jump ten feet into the air.
"I'll get it, Mom," Dina needed to something otherwise she'd continue to stare at her fashionable
Gossip brand watch with the pink faux crocodile leather band.
"Hello?"
"Drake?"
He wasn't going to come. She hoped that wasn't the reason why he was calling.
"Hi, Dina," Drake figured he'd better pull over on the side of the road, "I'm on my way. I know you
were probably worried."
"No, I wasn't."
"You better call your doctor and schedule another surgery."
"What for?"
"Your nose is seriously growing."
Dina laughed, "Just get here. Mom baked a cherry pie."
"How great is pie? I'll be there in twenty minutes—and there just might be a present for you...See
you, Dina."
Dina could sense Drake's smile on the end of the phone.
"See you."
1 Hour Later
Audrey couldn't help but worry now that her son was officially one hour late. Yes, he could be
'scatterbrained' and be gone for a corn dog and a drink for an hour and a half especially if the
server was a pretty female.
Dina fell asleep sitting up on the sofa, but every few minutes her body would jerk herself awake.
"Mom," Dina stood up, "Drake said he'd be here in twenty minutes. What if s-something h-
happened to him?"
Neither one of them wanted to even think about that being a viable possibility.
She had to call his cell phone as the panic rose in her body.
"I'm sure he's fine. You know your brother---"
"Yeah, yeah I do. And he's not fine."
"If I have call the towing company for one more car today..." said the manager of the Quiggly Mart
to the cashier clerk. That beige Impala has been here for awhile and the owner was not in sight.
"I'll take care of it, Hank, after my smoking break, okay?" said the cashier who couldn't wait for
this day to be over so she could take a hot bubble bath.
"Thanks, doll." He replied in the old school non-harassment way.
The forty year old woman went out the back employee entrance to sit on the stoop and contemplate
why she was forty years old and STILL working at the Quiggly Mart.
"Can't these stupid delivery men throw the boxes away properly?" She said out loud as she almost
tripped over it.
Her mouth about to gasp into an hysterical scream when she noticed a badly beaten up young man
hunched over in the dumpster.